Akola (Maharashtra), Aug 21
Amid the raging controversy over the sexual abuse of two girls in Badlapur’s reputed school, a 42-year-old schoolteacher was arrested in Maharashtra's Akola district for repeatedly molesting six Class 8 girl students for the last four months and forcing them to watch adult films.
According to the police, the accused, identified as Pramod Sardar, showed obscene videos on his mobile phone before inappropriately touching the students. This took place in the Zilla Parishad school premises of Kazikheda village, 40 km from the city.
The incident came to light after one of the victims dared to call the 1098 child helpline. The complaint led to an inquiry by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
On Tuesday, the CWC members visited the school on the pretext of conducting an hour-long session with the students and requested to speak to the Class 8 girls in person. On this occasion, the victim girls gave information about the trauma they had endured for the last four months.
After hearing the girls' testimony, the CWC members immediately contacted the police. "We received a call from a CWC member and sent a police team to the school to record the statement of the minor girls," said Gopal Dhole, a police inspector at Ural police station. Thereafter, the police took Pramod Sardar into custody and booked him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (BNS).
School Principal Ravindra Samdoor said he was not aware of the sexual abuse by the teacher. “If I had known about it, I would have taken action immediately. It was only when the CWC team spoke to the girls that we came to know about the crime”, he added.
Asha Mirje, a former member of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission, has condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the accused teacher. She slammed the school staff questioning how such abuse could go unnoticed in the school.
The Akola incident comes just days after two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted at a school by a cleaning staff in Badlapur town in Thane district. The incident triggered protests, with residents blocking the Mumbai rail route at Badlapur railway station, bringing train services to a standstill on Tuesday.